A contractor group has been refused permission to appeal by the High Court over historic building safety payouts worth £14.9 million
It follows a judgment made in April 2026, in which the Technology and Construction Court (TCC) found contractor Ardmore and its related companies liable for serious fire safety defects at the Admiralty Quarter development in Portsmouth.
Described as a landmark court ruling, the case saw liability extend beyond the insolvent contractor, Ardmore Construction Limited (ACL), to other companies within the same corporate group via a Building Liability Order (BLO). As previously reported by the FPA, under the terms of the Building Safety Act 2022, the group was ordered to pay £14.9 million to developer Crest Nicholson.
Five appeals were subsequently raised by the seven firms linked to Ardmore, including a claim that the court had issued an “anticipatory” BLO before liability had been fully determined at trial, with the defendants arguing that it was “premature”.
On 8 May 2026, Mr Justice Constable also rejected an application for additional time to pay the sum, stating that the companies should “satisfy the adjudication award within 14 days”. As reported by Construction News, this is despite claims that the companies would be at “risk of insolvency if they did”.
According to Construction Enquirer, Crest Nicholson was also awarded 5% interest from September 2025 and the full recovery of its legal costs.